1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a stencil discharge apparatus for use in discharging a stencil sheet used in a stencil printing machine, and more particularly a stencil printing machine capable of accurately detecting a stored amount of used stencil sheets at the stencil discharge section, a stencil discharge device of a stencil printing machine and a stencil printing system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the case of the stencil printing machine, it is necessary for discharging a stencil sheet fixed to a printing drum after completion of the printing operation prior to next perforating. The stencil discharging operation is carried out by a method wherein a peeling claw enters between the printing drum and the stencil sheet and the printing drum is rotated to feed out the stencil sheet into a discharge box. Within the discharge box are installed a compressing mechanism for compressing the stencil sheets or the like in order to increase a storing amount of the stencil sheets after their discharging operation.
Then, when the stored number of stencil sheets within the discharge box reaches a predetermined number of sheets (for example, it is filled with the sheets), the discharge box is taken out of the apparatus and the stencil sheets stored in the box are deposited.
The stencil sheet discharge apparatus is provided with a sensing means for sensing the number of sheets capable of being stored in the discharge box. This sensing means stores the present storing amount in a memory section, and calculates a residual amount of sheets in respect to the set number of sheets at an arithmetic section. In addition, there is also provided a filled amount sensing system for use in sensing a state when the discharge box is filled with sheets. Further, there is also provided a system combined with these devices.
However, in the case of these sensing means, it could not know an absolute capacity (a residual amount of discharge sheets) within the discharge box so long as the discharge box is taken out or the discharge box is not filled with discharge sheets.
In addition, since there was a certain difference in the number of discharge sheets capable of being stored in reference to a difference in the type of machine or state of application in use, a mechanism of sensing a residual amount of sheets detected through the memory section was required to have a predetermined surplus amount in the set value for the filled stencil sheets to be discharged. With such an arrangement as above, there was sometimes a possibility that the amount of discharge sheets capable of being stored in the discharge box was lower than an actual stored state.
Further, in the case that the discharge box is taken out during the operation, a stored state of the stencil sheets within the discharge box can not be discriminated accurately. For example, in the case of configuration in which the memory is cleared by taking-out the discharge box, if the stencil sheets within the discharge box are not deposited and the box is fixed again to the device, the residual amount of sheets in the memory is different from the actual value of the number of sheets.
In this case, even if the discharge box is filled with the sheets subsequently discharged, it is discriminated that the device is not filled with the sheets and an inferior discharge occurs (such as a jamming or the like). In addition, in the case that only part of the stencil sheets was taken out when the discharge box was taken out, a value at the memory section in the device was different from the stored state in the discharge box to produce an inconvenient state in operation.
The present invention has been invented in order to solve the aforesaid problems and it is an object of the present invention to provide a stencil printing machine capable of performing an accurate sensing of a stored state of the stencil sheets in the discharge box and further informing an appropriate time of deposition for the sheets, a stencil discharge apparatus for the stencil printing machine and a stencil printing system.
According to a first aspect of this invention, there is provided a stencil discharge apparatus for a stencil printing machine having a discharge box for storing a predetermined amount of stencil sheets after being peeled off from a printing drum so as to discharge said stencil sheets. The stencil discharge apparatus includes compressing means for compressing the stencil sheets discharged into said discharge box through motion of a compressing plate; compressing pressure sensing means for sensing and outputting a compressing pressure of said compressing means; moving amount sensing means for sensing and outputting an amount of motion of said compressing plate; and control means for calculating a storing amount of the stencil sheets in said discharge box on the basis of sensing of a predetermined pressure through said compressing pressure sensing means and an amount of motion sensed by said moving amount sensing means.
In accordance with the aforesaid configuration, the stencil sheets are compressed by the compressing means every time the stencil sheets are stored (discharged) into the discharge box. The control means calculates a storing amount of the stencil sheets in response to a moving amount of the compressing plate during compressing operation. Since the storing state in the discharge box can be directly sensed through motion of the compressing plate, it becomes possible to calculate an accurate amount of discharging stencil sheets.
According to a second aspect of this invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, there can be provided a stencil discharge apparatus for a stencil printing machine in which said control means calculates a residual amount of sheets capable of being stored in said discharge box in response to a limited storing amount of said discharge box and an amount of motion of said compressing means.
In accordance with the aforesaid configuration, the control means is enabled to know a dischargeable amount of said sheets every time in order to calculate a residual amount of the discharge sheets.
According to a third aspect of this invention, in the first or the second aspect of the present invention, there can be provided a stencil discharge apparatus for a stencil printing machine having a display device for displaying a storing amount of said stencil sheets or a residual amount which can be stored.
In accordance with the aforesaid configuration, a storing amount of the stencil sheets and/or a residual amount which can be stored is displayed on the display device and it can be easily confirmed.
According to a fourth aspect of this invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, there can be provided a stencil discharge apparatus for a stencil printing machine in which said control means alarms when the residual amount becomes less than a specified value in response to a storing limit amount of said discharge box and an amount of motion of said compressing means.
In accordance with the aforesaid configuration, since the external informing operation is carried out when the residual amount in the discharge box becomes less than a specified value, it becomes possible to inform the discharging of stencil sheets in the discharge box at a proper time and deposit the sheets.
In accordance with a fifth aspect this invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, there can be provided a stencil discharge apparatus for a stencil printing machine in which said control means includes a memory means for storing a storing amount of stencil sheets within said discharge box; the storing amount of the stencil sheets stored within said discharge box is calculated on the basis of an amount of motion sensed by said moving amount sensing means when said compressing pressure sensing means senses a predetermined pressure upon compressing the stencil sheet with the compressing means; and the storing amount of the stencil sheet is stored in said memory means.
In accordance with the aforesaid configuration, since a storing amount of stencil sheets is calculated every time the sheet is discharged, revised and stored in the memory means, mere reading-out of the content stored in the memory means enables an amount of storing in the discharge box to be accurately known even under a state before discharging a sheet.
According to a sixth aspect of this invention, in the fifth aspect of the present invention, there can be provided a stencil discharge apparatus for a stencil printing machine in which said control means reads out the storing amount of the stencil sheets stored in the memory means when said stencil sheets are discharged and causes compressing operation of the compressing means not to be executed when said storing amount is less than a predetermined amount.
In accordance with the aforesaid configuration, the compressing operation performed by the compressing means is not performed when a storing amount in the discharge box is less than a predetermined amount, resulting in that it is possible to restrict a useless consumption of electrical power.
According to a seventh aspect of this invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, there can be provided a stencil discharge apparatus for a stencil printing machine in which said control means causes the stencil sheets to be compressed with said compressing means when a power supply is turned on and calculates the storing amount of the stencil sheets within said discharge box on the basis of an amount of motion sensed by said moving amount sensing means when said compressing pressure sensing means senses a predetermined pressure.
In accordance with the aforesaid configuration, since a compressing operation is actually carried out to calculate a storing amount of the stencil sheets within the discharge box when the power supply is turned on again, it becomes possible to attain an accurate storing amount even if a storing amount in the discharge box is changed due to a deposition of the discharge sheet during a time in which the power supply is turned off.
According to an eighth aspect of this invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, there can be provided a stencil discharge apparatus for a stencil printing machine in which said control means performs an external alarm when it is judged that the storing amount of the stencil sheets after printing exceeds a storing limit amount of said discharge box in the case where an operating input for performing the printing is set as accompanied by discharging a plurality of the stencil sheets.
In accordance with the aforesaid configuration, although there occurs a case in which the discharge box is filled with sheets in the midway part of printing operation for discharging a plurality of sheets, it is judged if a storing amount of the stencil sheets exceeds the storing limit amount of said discharge box before executing the printing operation under this state and if it exceeds the amount, it is alarmed in advance. With such an arrangement as above, it becomes possible to prevent in advance that the sheets can not be discharged in the midway part of printing operation and the printing operation is stopped.
According to a ninth aspect of this invention, in the eighth aspect of the present invention, there can be provided a stencil discharge apparatus for a stencil printing machine including an operating panel for operating and inputting a number of the stencil sheets to be perforated.
In accordance with such a configuration as described above, it becomes possible to know at once whether the discharging operation corresponding to the number of stencil sheets performed by the present printing operation can be carried out by performing an inputting operation of the number of sheets with the operating panel.
According to a tenth aspect of this invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, there can be provided a stencil discharge apparatus for a stencil printing machine in which said control means is connected to a computer through a network and transmitted an alarm to the competer when it is judged that the storing amount of the stencil sheets after printing exceeds a storing limit amount of said discharge box in the case where printing is performed in reference to a number of the stencil sheets inputted from said terminal.
In accordance with the aforesaid configuration, in the case that a printing instruction is generated from a remote terminal through a network connection, it is judged whether a storing of the sheet into the discharge box can be carried out in response to the number of sheets when the printing accompanied by a plurality of sheets is performed, and if it is not possible, an alarm is transmitted. With such an arrangement as above, it becomes possible to prevent that the sheet can not be discharged in the midway part of the printing operation and the printing operation is stopped, resulting in that a network printing using a remote stencil printing machine can be carried out smoothly under an instruction dispatched from the terminal.
According to an eleventh aspect of this invention, in the second aspect of the present invention, there can be provided a stencil discharge apparatus for a stencil printing machine in which said control means is connected to a computer through a network and transmits a residual amount of sheets in the discharge box into the computer when printing is started.
In accordance with the aforesaid configuration, it is possible to know at a remote terminal the residual amount of sheets in the discharge box when the printing is started.
According to a twelfth aspect of this invention, there can be provided a stencil discharge apparatus for a stencil printing machine including a discharge box for storing a predetermined amount of stencil sheets after being peeled off from a printing drum; stencil sheet residual amount calculating means for calculating a residual amount of sheets which can be stored in said discharge box in reference to a storing limit amount of said discharge box and a storing amount of stencil sheets discharged into said discharge box; means for inputting a number of originals prior to a case where a processing accompanied by discharging a plurality of the stencil sheets is performed in a continuous manner; and control means for comparing said inputted number of originals with said calculated residual amount and performing an alarm when said number of originals is more than the residual amount.
In accordance with the aforesaid configuration, in the case that a processing accompanied by a plurality of discharged sheets is performed in a continuous manner, the number of originals is inputted prior to the processing to cause the inputted number of originals to be compared with the calculated residual amount and an alarm is produced when the number of originals is more than the residual amount, so that it becomes possible to prevent that the discharge sheet can not be discharged in the midway part of printing operation and the printing operation is stopped.
According to a thirteenth aspect of this invention, in the twelfth aspect of the present invention, there can be provided a stencil printing machine including an automatic document feeder on which a plurality of originals can be mounted; and an operating panel for inputting the number of originals set at said automatic document feeder; wherein said control means compares the number of originals inputted through said operating panel with the residual amount of discharge sheets under an ADF mode using said automatic original feeder.
In accordance with the aforesaid configuration, under an ADF mode using the automatic original feeder, the number of originals inputted through said operating panel is compared with the residual amount of discharge sheets and an alarm is produced when the number of originals is more than the residual amount, so that it becomes possible to prevent that the discharge sheet can not be discharged in the midway part of printing operation and the printing operation is stopped.
According to a fourteenth aspect of this invention, there can be provided a stencil printing system including a stencil printing machine and a computer connected to said stencil printing machine through a network, and the computer receives a printing instruction for said stencil printing machine. The stencil printing system includes a discharge box for storing a predetermined amount of stencil sheets after being peeled off from a printing drum; stencil sheet residual amount calculating means for calculating a residual amount of the sheets which can be stored in said discharge box in reference to a storing limit amount of said discharge box and a storing amount of the stencil sheets discharged into said discharge box; means for setting a number of originals to be processed on the computer prior to continuous processing accompanied by discharging a plurality of the stencil sheets; and control means for comparing said set number of originals with said calculated residual amount and raising an alarm when said number of originals is larger than the residual amount.
In accordance with the aforesaid configuration, since the residual amount of sheets in the discharge box is transmitted to the terminal, it becomes possible to instruct at a terminal a printing of the number of sheets corresponding to the residual amount. With such an arrangement as above, it is possible to prevent that the sheets can not be discharged in the midway part of the printing operation and the printing operation is stopped and then a network printing using the remote stencil printing machine can be carried out smoothly under an instruction attained from the terminal.